ANALYSIS AND TESTS OF REINFORCED CARBON-EPOXY FOAM-CORE SANDWICH PANELS WITH CUTOUTS/

The results of a structurally-efficient minimum-gage shear-panel ape p resented. The shear-panel design is based on an Integrally stiffened s yntactic-foam stabilized-skin concept with an all-bias-ply tape constr uction for the skins. The panels considered in the study were designed to be buckling resistant up to 100 lbs/in. of shear load and to have an ultimate strength of 300 lbs/in. The experimental buckling strength of the reinforced panels is 83 to 90 percent of the predicted bucklin g strength based on a linear buckling analysis. The maximum experiment al deflection exceeds the maximum deflection predicted by a nonlinear analysis by approximately one panel thickness. The failure strength of the reinforced panels was two and a half to four times the buckling s trength. This efficient shear-panel design concept exceeds the require d ultimate strength requirement of 300 lbs/in. by over 100 percent.